Operation of large rotating machinery can produce substantial mechanical forces that can result in highly-stressed components whose structural integrity needs to be evaluated on periodic basis. For example, electric power generators, as may be used in a power generation plant, include a rotor arranged with a plurality of coils. To lock the coils into position, rotor wedges may be used. The rotor wedges may be constructed from non-magnetic steel and coated with a copper coating, for example. During operation of the generator, rotor components, including the rotor wedges, are subjected to relative large centrifugal forces. In the event of a structural malfunction of any such component, substantial damage could occur to the machinery involved, e.g., the generator and/or a turbine connected to the generator.
Accordingly, such components are inspected to be requalified for further use when the machinery is serviced. For example, it is known to use a fluorescent penetrant to inspect the rotor wedges. This inspection technique has proven to be reliable but suffers from at least the following drawbacks: The coating has to be removed from the components before inspection and the reusable components have to be recoated after the inspection, which leads to substantial costs and delays in view of the relatively large number of components that may be involved. For example, there may be several hundred components per generator. In view of the foregoing considerations, it is desirable to provide an improved inspection system and/or inspection methodology that reliably and in a cost-effective manner avoids or reduces the drawbacks discussed above.